This invention relates to a system for collecting and discharging waste water, and in particular to such a system in which the discharge pump, motor and controls are placed in a vault which is outside of the collection container and are removable from the vault quickly and easily as a unitary module.
In septic tank systems both solid and liquid waste are deposited into a below-ground collection container where the solids accumulate and decompose and the liquids are extracted. Since the bulk of the material which is deposited into the container is water, it often is necessary to mechanically pump a portion of the waste water out of the collection container to a separate holding tank, a remote drain field, or a treatment facility. A typical system in which waste water is pumped out of a collection container is disclosed in Ball, U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,323. The pumps used to transfer the waste water normally are submersed in the waste water to prevent the pump from freezing, to prevent loss of prime, and to cool the pump motor.
The difficulty with systems of this type is that when the pump malfunctions repairs must be made by entering the collection container itself so that the pump can be disconnected from its fluid and electrical connections and removed from the collection container. This is a time-consuming and hazardous task. The container contents are highly corrosive due to sulfuric acid, and the atmosphere is toxic and can be explosive. The service man is also exposed to electrical shock when maintaining such a traditional system.
Kovarik, U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,051 discloses a nonsubmerged pump for removing waste water from a collection chamber, which eliminates the necessity of entering the collection chamber to repair or remove the pump. However, although the actual element which requires repair can be removed from a separate housing, the repairman still must enter the housing, troubleshoot the system, determine which element or elements need to be repaired and then remove that element by disconnecting it from whatever other elements it interacts with. Thus, the repairman must be in the housing for a considerable time period even to remove an element for replacement or remote repair and install the replacement element.
The subject invention overcomes the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art devices of this type by providing a small underground watertight dry vault having an entryway at its top end with a cover which is easily opened. The pump, motor, and electrical controls are structurally interconnected into a unitary module which fits into the vault through the entryway. The pump/motor module is connectable to the side wall of the vault by a quick release coupling which is engaged merely by lowering the pump/motor module into the vault and is disengaged by lifting the module out of the vault. The pump inlet is connected through a quick-disconnect coupling to a fluid inlet tube which extends out of the vault and into the collection container. Similarly, the pump outlet is connected through a quick-disconnect coupling to a fluid outlet which extends out of the tank to the site to which the waste water is being pumped. Seals are provided where the fluid inlet tube and fluid outlet tube pass out of the vault to prevent ground water from entering the vault at these points. The vault is equipped with an electrical power outlet and the control system which operates the device has a power cord which can easily be attached to and detached from this power outlet.
The system also includes a level sensor which initiates operation of the pump when the fluid in the collection container reaches a first predetermined level and terminates operation when the fluid drops to a second predetermined level. In a preferred embodiment the Ievel sensor includes a sensing tube which extends from mid-level in the collection container to a pressure sensitive switch located in the pump control system which is mounted on the pump/motor module. A seal is provided where the sensing tube passes into the vault and a quick disconnect coupling interfaces the sensing tube with the control system.
In the event of a failure of, or need to service, a component of the pumping system, the entire module, with all working parts including the pump, motor, sensing system and controls, can quickly and easily be removed from the vault for repair at a remote site and a new unit can be quickly installed in its place. This can be accomplished without having to enter the collection container, without requiring testing on-site to identify a faulty component, without removing components piecemeal, and without requiring any tools. All that is required to remove the module is to reach into the vault and uncouple the quick disconnects between the pump inlet and the fluid inlet tube, the pump outlet and the fluid outlet tube, the sensing tube and the control system, and the power cord and power outlet, respectively, and lift the module out of the vault. This procedure is reversed to install a new module and, since the module fits in place only one way, there is no danger of incorrect installation.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a waste water collection and discharge system in which the apparatus that is used to pump waste water out of the collection container can quickly and easily be installed or removed and replaced.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which the entire system which is used to pump water is integrated into a unitary module to facilitate remote testing of all of the working parts.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which the module can be fitted into an enclosed watertight dry vault from ground level without the necessity of entering the waste water collection container.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a system in which all of the pumping and electrical lines contain quick release connectors which permit quick assembly and disassembly.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.